Don’t think of the upcoming 2026 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège as the end of something, as much as it’s a final one-day warm-up before we get to spend five months watching and talking about stage races and Grand Tours.
But don’t misunderstand. Liège-Bastogne-Liège might only be one day, but it’ll be action-packed and is every bit as prestigious as any race on the calendar, boasting 112 editions and more than 130 total years of tradition.
The event serves as the last of the Ardennes Classics, the final race on the Spring Classics slate and the fourth of the season’s five Monuments. So, you better believe all the top talent will be at the start line, and fans will be tuning in from around the world.
If you’re partial to the best women in the sport, you’re in luck, too. The day will include Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026, and all of the action April 26 will be broadcast live on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in Canada. Fans in the United States will be able to see the races on Peacock.
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The other races that make up the Ardennes Classics are the Amstel Gold Race (April 19) and La Flèche Wallonne (April 22), with all three set up to challenge the top climbers in cycling as they across Belgium and the Netherlands.
The series immediately follows a group of races that kick off the spring each year on the region’s famed cobblestone roads.
If any rider is fortunate enough to win all three of the Ardennes Classics in the same season, that is considered the Ardennes Triple, which has only been accomplished twice since the addition of the third event in the mid-1960s.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2026 will see the men cross 259.5 hilly kilometers, starting and finishing in Liège. They’ll encounter 11 climbs, with the steepest one reaching a 12.5% gradient.
The unique aspect of the route is that they’ll bounce over the hilly terrain for 170 kilometers before really getting into the climbing.
By the time they get to the second half of the list of climbs, exhaustion and strategy will begin to shape the race, and each successive climb should see more and more riders fall out of contention.
The final climb of the day, the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, is 1.3 kilometers at an 11% gradient and could be where the winner ultimately emerges.
On paper, the strongest climbers should be the ones battling for the hardware, but a flatter finish also leaves hope for any sprint specialists who might’ve survived at the front of the race.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026 will take the women on a 156-kilometer journey from Bastogne to Liège, but just like the men, they’re probably going to be exhausted by the time they reach the most challenging and competitive part of the day.
Along the way, they’ll encounter 10 main climbs, including a stint at 12.5%. They’ll also close with the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons and a flatter 13 kilometers.
Since 2021, Liège-Bastogne-Liège has only had two winners – Tadej Pogacar in 2021, 2024 and 2025, and Remco Evenepoel in 2022 and 2023. Both are expected to be back in 2026 and should be the only two past champions in the field.
The list of contenders will include Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Hirschi, Michał Kwiatkowski and Tom Pidcock, all of whom have collected at least three top-10 finishes at the event.
The women’s champion in 2025 was Kimberley Le Court-Pienaar, who hails from the island nation of Mauritius and became the race’s third winner not from the Netherlands. Oh, and her emergence from the four-rider final sprint also made her the first African rider – male or female – to win a cycling Monument.
Unfortunately for Le Court-Pienaar, she won’t be back in Belgium to defend her title. During the recent Tour of Flanders, she was involved in a crash that resulted in a fractured wrist that required surgery.
The field will include a pair of past two-time champions – Demi Vollering (2021, 2023) and Anna van der Breggen (2017, 2018) – along with last year’s runner-up Puck Pieterse, Liane Lippert, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Kasia Niewiadoma.
History Of Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Liège-Bastogne-Liège first was held in 1892, and this year’s race will be the 112th edition. But how does that math work out?
Well, after three years, the race went on hiatus until returning in 1908, also marking the first time the action finished in Liège. Multiple years also were missed due to World War I and World War II.
Once again, Belgium has reigned supreme at the race, winning 61 times. Italy is second on the all-time wins list with 12.
Belgian star Eddy Merckx owns the most victories with five. Two riders have won four times, four have three wins and 12 have won twice.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes didn’t come onto the scene until 2017, with Van der Breggen, from the Netherlands, winning the first two outings.
Van der Breggen, Vollering and Annemiek van Vleuten each have two titles, giving the Netherlands six total, while Australia, Mauritius and the United Kingdom each have one.
The Ardennes Classics And The Ardennes Triple
Only two riders in history have won the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the same year.
Italy’s Davide Rebellin accomplished the feat in 2004, and Belgian Phillipe Gilbert did it in 2011.
Four times since, two riders have won two of the three races. Spain’s Alejandro Valverde did it in 2015 and 2017, and Pogacar did it in 2023 and 2025.
Schedule For Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2026
Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2026 will begin at approximately 2:30 a.m. Eastern and should finish around 9:15 a.m. EDT.
FloBikes coverage will begin at 6:10 a.m. EDT.
How To Watch Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2026
Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in Canada.
Highlights, replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
Fans in the United States can watch on Peacock.
Schedule For Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026 will begin at approximately 7:25 a.m. Eastern and should finish around 11:45 a.m. EDT.
FloBikes coverage will begin at 10:40 a.m. EDT.
How To Watch Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2026
Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes 2026 is streaming on FloBikes and the FloSports app for viewers in Canada.
Highlights, replays and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
Fans in the United States can watch on Peacock.
What Are The Races On The Flanders Classics Schedule?
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Men & Women; Saturday, Feb. 28)
- In Flanders Fields (formerly Gent-Wevelgem) (Men & Women; Sunday, March 29)
- Dwars door Vlaanderen (Men & Women; Wednesday, April 1)
- Tour of Flanders (Men & Women; Sunday, April 5)
- Scheldeprijs (Men & Women; Wednesday, April 8)
- Ronde van Limburg (Wednesday, April 15)
- De Brabantse Pijl (Men & Women; Friday, April 17)
- Amstel Gold Race (Sunday, April 19)
- Brussels Cycling Classic (Sunday, June 7)
- Vlaamse Druivenkoers Overijse (Wednesday, Aug. 26)
What Are The Cycling Monuments?
These are the most prestigious one-day races on the annual cycling calendar. Each race features a journey between 240 and 300 kilometers.
These races are challenging and steeped in history and tradition.
- Milan - San Remo
- Tour of Flanders
- Paris-Roubaix
- Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- Giro di Lombardia
Highlights: Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 - Men
Watch the highlights from the Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 men’s race.
Catch All The Best Races, Highlights, Insight, News And More On FloBikes
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FloBikes Archived Footage
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